Instead of one big annual reveal, Michelin now adds restaurants to its city guides throughout the year. The little red book’s anonymous inspectors have selected eight new restaurants in today’s DC drop, spanning from Peruvian tasting menu spot Causa to breakfast taco hotspot La Tejana. They have not yet revealed whether the restaurants will receive stars or Bib Gourmands, the designation for “good value” establishments. The DC area currently has 24 Michelin-starred restaurants, but the only one with the highest designation of three stars is the Inn at Little Washington in Washington, Virginia.
Below is the full list of additions with some excerpts from Michelin’s reviews, which you can read in full here:
Bar Spero – Contemporary cuisine in Capitol Crossing
Michelin says: “Its soaring 20-ft ceilings and undulating glass-enclosed space could read cold, but here it’s warm and sophisticated.”
Causa – Peruvian in Blagden Alley
Michelin says: “The humble bomba rice is given a luxe glow-up courtesy of uni, caviar and a criolla sauce.”
La Tejana – Mexican in Mount Pleasant
Michelin says: “There isn’t a morning that can’t be made or a long night that can’t be undone thanks to Ana-Maria Jaramillo and Guy May.”
Mandu – Korean in Mount Vernon Square
Michelin says: “Credit to Chef Yesoon Lee and her son Danny for showing this city that Korean cuisine is more than just bibimbap and barbecue.”
New Heights – American in Woodley Park
Michelin says: “In contrast to many of the shiny new restaurants that open every year, this Woodley Park veteran under-promises and over-delivers in the best of ways.”
St. James – Caribbean on 14th Street
Michelin says: “The contemporary space with industrial touches is enlivened with vivid pops of color, while the shared plates-style menu evokes a convivial spirit.”
Tigerella – Italian in Foggy Bottom
Michelin says: “The real draw is the house made and impossible-not-to-finish pastas.”
Opal – American in Chevy Chase
Michelin says: “This buzzy restaurant is well on its way to becoming a neighborhood essential. Far from flashy, the team isn’t out to redefine a cuisine or break any culinary boundaries.”
Jessica Sidman covers the people and trends behind D.C.’s food and drink scene. Before joining Washingtonian in July 2016, she was Food Editor and Young & Hungry columnist at Washington City Paper. She is a Colorado native and University of Pennsylvania grad.
